Commonly Used Terms
-manga (漫画／まんが): literally means “whimsical pictures”; refers to Japanese comics drawn in a cartoon style. Modern manga (and anime) characters are often, but not always, portrayed with large eyes, small noses and mouths, and unrealistic hair.
-mangaka (漫画家／まんがか): refers to an artist or artists who draw manga
-shounen (少年／しょうねん): manga intended for boys of about 10-18 years, hence the meaning of shounen (young boy). Shounen series typically feature male protagonists and have a large focus on fighting and action.
-seinen (青年／せいねん): means "young man", indicating that this kind of manga is aimed toward males in their late teens and up. Because of the older target audience, seinen titles are more graphic in nature than shounen (and shoujo).
-shoujo (少女／しょうじょ): manga intended for girls of about 10-18 years, hence the meaning of shoujo (young girl). Shoujo manga are usually idealized romantic comedies, with the protagonist being female.
-furigana (ふりがな): kana characters to help read kanji. For horizontal text, the furigana goes above the kanji; for vertical text, the furigana is placed to the right.
History
-the term "manga" was first coined by woodblock printmaker かつしか ほくさい (better known simply as ほくさい) in the 1800s
-modern manga refers to manga from after World War II and beyond
-てずか おさむ was the "Father/God of Manga". He was a major contributor in shaping the style and the modern definition of manga, and is well-known for creating the children's series てつわんアトム (known as "Astro Boy" in North America).
-in 1947, all forms of censorship had been banned in Japan; this led to much experimentation by artists
-from 1950-1969 was when manga started to become solidly categorized into two main target audience groups: shounen and shoujo
-manga was originally targeted at boys and young men, and shounen manga initially had few female characters playing very minor roles. This began to change in the 1980s, but sexism is still present in manga today
Above left: Two pages from the ほくさい まんが depicting bathers. Above right: Astro Boy.
How Manga is Read
-the panels in Japanese manga go from right to left
-Japanese text is traditionally read vertically
-furigana helps younger readers with kanji, but is typically not present in seinen or 女性／じょせい (manga for older female teens and up).
-when English translations of manga are published, they are now usually kept in the original right-to-left form
-flipping the art can distort the original meaning of some images (e.g. an image of a shirt that originally says “MAY” on it would read “YAM” when flipped)
A crop from R&Bの まんが ページ。(The whole file is MONSTER HUGE, so it won't be posted.)
Manga Outside of Japan
-the Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese equivalent of manga is "manhua"
-the Korean equivalent in "manhwa"
-French artists of the 19th century were influenced by Japanese art. This influence was known as "Japonism(e)".
-the U.S. has been influenced by modern manga and anime more than any other Western country; Americans have created manga/anime-inspired works such as うさぎ ようじんぼ and Avatar
-manga was introduced to the U.S. in the 1970s, but it was little-known at that time
-manga was made popular in Western countries in the mid-1990s by the the titles Ghost in the Shell, Sailor Moon, and Magic Knight Rayearth
Publication Formats
-paperback: the most common format. Most English-translated manga are 5 x 7.5". Japanese comics are smaller (4.5 x 6 13/16").
-magazine: manga magazines typically show 1-2 chapters each from several different titles.
-webcomic: a less common format. Webcomics are viewed online, but some titles are available for print.
Japanese Manga Vs. American Graphic Novels: Major Differences
MANGA
AMERICAN COMICS
-printed in black and white with screentone patterns in place of colour
-colour
-usually made by a single story writer/artist; some manga are created by a separate writer and artist
-usually made by a team of artists (writer, sketcher, inker, colourer)
-larger panels/less panels per page; less dialogue
-smaller panels/more panels per page; more dialogue
-often shows exaggerated styles and expressions
-less exaggerated/wacky style
-can be categorized into a variety of demographics (e.g. shounen, shoujo)
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_manga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seinen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo
Ria's brain. Because she has some info memorized, and collecting that info dates back from grade 4.
漫画／まんが
[By リア・マ。]Commonly Used Terms
-manga (漫画／まんが): literally means “whimsical pictures”; refers to Japanese comics drawn in a cartoon style. Modern manga (and anime) characters are often, but not always, portrayed with large eyes, small noses and mouths, and unrealistic hair.
-mangaka (漫画家／まんがか): refers to an artist or artists who draw manga
-shounen (少年／しょうねん): manga intended for boys of about 10-18 years, hence the meaning of shounen (young boy). Shounen series typically feature male protagonists and have a large focus on fighting and action.
-seinen (青年／せいねん): means "young man", indicating that this kind of manga is aimed toward males in their late teens and up. Because of the older target audience, seinen titles are more graphic in nature than shounen (and shoujo).
-shoujo (少女／しょうじょ): manga intended for girls of about 10-18 years, hence the meaning of shoujo (young girl). Shoujo manga are usually idealized romantic comedies, with the protagonist being female.
-furigana (ふりがな): kana characters to help read kanji. For horizontal text, the furigana goes above the kanji; for vertical text, the furigana is placed to the right.
History
-the term "manga" was first coined by woodblock printmaker かつしか ほくさい (better known simply as ほくさい) in the 1800s
-modern manga refers to manga from after World War II and beyond
-てずか おさむ was the "Father/God of Manga". He was a major contributor in shaping the style and the modern definition of manga, and is well-known for creating the children's series てつわんアトム (known as "Astro Boy" in North America).
-in 1947, all forms of censorship had been banned in Japan; this led to much experimentation by artists
-from 1950-1969 was when manga started to become solidly categorized into two main target audience groups: shounen and shoujo
-manga was originally targeted at boys and young men, and shounen manga initially had few female characters playing very minor roles. This began to change in the 1980s, but sexism is still present in manga today
Above left: Two pages from the ほくさい まんが depicting bathers. Above right: Astro Boy.
How Manga is Read
-the panels in Japanese manga go from right to left
-Japanese text is traditionally read vertically
-furigana helps younger readers with kanji, but is typically not present in seinen or 女性／じょせい (manga for older female teens and up).
-when English translations of manga are published, they are now usually kept in the original right-to-left form
-flipping the art can distort the original meaning of some images (e.g. an image of a shirt that originally says “MAY” on it would read “YAM” when flipped)
Manga Outside of Japan
-the Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese equivalent of manga is "manhua"
-the Korean equivalent in "manhwa"
-French artists of the 19th century were influenced by Japanese art. This influence was known as "Japonism(e)".
-the U.S. has been influenced by modern manga and anime more than any other Western country; Americans have created manga/anime-inspired works such as うさぎ ようじんぼ and Avatar
-manga was introduced to the U.S. in the 1970s, but it was little-known at that time
-manga was made popular in Western countries in the mid-1990s by the the titles Ghost in the Shell, Sailor Moon, and Magic Knight Rayearth
Publication Formats
-paperback: the most common format. Most English-translated manga are 5 x 7.5". Japanese comics are smaller (4.5 x 6 13/16").
-magazine: manga magazines typically show 1-2 chapters each from several different titles.
-webcomic: a less common format. Webcomics are viewed online, but some titles are available for print.
Japanese Manga Vs. American Graphic Novels: Major Differences